


Sparks on Sand

by ImAmandaOnline



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beach, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, F/M, M/M, glasses dex, lifeguard!Linh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:41:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28247802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImAmandaOnline/pseuds/ImAmandaOnline
Summary: Linh is a lifeguard at Virginia beach, watching the beachgoers for the greater good, also because she loves the water (though she rarely got to be in it), and she needs the money. Her parents had kicked her and her twin brother, Tam, out of the house after they came out. But Linh is watching a fiery blonde more than the ocean, letting Marella chat her up. Linh's peaceful demeanor balances on the brink as opposites attract.
Relationships: Marella Redek & Linh Song
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Sparks on Sand

Linh

Linh watches the sea, lost in the rhythmic percussion of waves on sand. Her eyes are steady to the horizon, mirroring the rise and crash of wild white froth. Her lips bear the soft semblance of a smile, just enough to show she is enjoying her thoughts, whatever or wherever they may be.

Beachgoers begin to stream in, bringing small tented canopies, vibrant umbrellas, an array of towels, buckets, and tools for play. There was the usual surfing crowd, paddleboards and kayaks being carried by pairs. Toddlers waddle in with outstretched arms to account for their arm floaties and inflatable rings. 

Children wince at the burning sand, racing as fast as possible to reach where the small layer of foam and water sweeps up and down the sandbar. Flip-flops and crocs are cast off, neglected and thrown back by easily distracted kids. Parents roll out towels and stake umbrellas into the sand, lugging coolers into the shade while discreetly watching their charges in their peripheral vision.

As the food stalls and ice cream stations open, begging voices are heard in the fray, whines for boardwalk treats in the sticky heat easily picked out of chattering and playful shouts. Linh could people-watch peacefully from her point on the far side of the beach. Positioned a lifeguard chair over from the King Neptune statue, only the determined trekked to her section of the beach. The wooden walkway closest to her was still a ways from her eastern spot.

Tam Song, Linh's twin brother, had set up residence under the cool shade of her perch, going so far as to adjust the foldable camping chair every half hour, without fail. Inside the legs of her chair were four aluminum water bottles, protected by the same shade Tam took advantage of, and ice cubes. A large bag of granola was tightly wrapped, clipped in four places, along with a bag of lays barbeque potato chips and grapes kept in a chilled container. Tam and Linh both agreed warm grapes were disgusting.

The twins agreed on most things, or at least tolerated each others opinions. They both enjoyed reading, though they had different preferences. Linh loved animals, while Tam thought of them as a bother, which was probably the biggest difference besides physical things, like gender assigned at birth.

There she came. Remember 'only the determined?' Well, that girl was determined. She resolutely walked towards the twins, carrying much more than what was usually recommended. The blonde was so short, she couldn't see over all she was carrying. Fishtail braids not moving an inch, the girl bounced past Linh's chair, settling in to wait for her friend and the three imps scuttling behind him, circling back and forth chaotically.

She impatiently dropped a towel, spreading it out with manicured feet and plopping down with a dramatic sigh not deserving of the situation.

"Dex! Hurry up!" The shout wasn't completely lost to the hubbub, the boy-evidently Dex-rushing his steps, tripped and righting himself in the same movement, glasses slipping down his freckled nose. "Here," the girl screamed. 

Dex rolled his eyes, the girl being the only person besides Tam and Linh in front of him. The little kids yanked the beach toys out of his hands, racing down to the damp sand by the water. Now off-balance, he crashed down onto Marella, who released a string of unspeakable words. 

Tam snickered, the girl whipping towards him, propping a hand on her hip. Eyes drawn out by impressive cat-eye, the girl's eyes flashing lethally. 

"Excuse me," she snapped. "Did I hear something?" 

Tam turned stony-faced, straightening up in his patch of darkness- an ongoing joke between the twins.

"No ma'am." 

The girl lay down on her thin white towel, basking in the sun. Already tan, she obviously didn't need the sun's rays, but it seemed as if she liked it. Dex was quickly roped into interacting with the hyper beasts in the water, Tam pulling out a book labeled The Dark Tower, quickly captivated by words. 

The girl twisted towards Linh, defined calves shifting as she went to prop her head on her hand. 

"I'm Marella. Not Mare, not Ella, no nicknames. But for a girl as cute as you I might make an exception," Marella drawled. Tam's ears didn't perk up, a good sign, guaranteeing he was fully immersed in his book, and not paying attention to whatever Marella was doing. Linh's face blazed, and she busied herself with reapplying sunscreen. 

"I'm Linh Song," Linh mumbled. Marella laughed, and Linh reverted her gaze to the water, eyes burning. 

"What was that? I'm down here, and you're up there, remember?" Linh's cheeked flamed again as she released a sigh, glad Marella wasn't laughing at her.

"It's Linh, Linh Song. I'm supposed to be concentrating," Linh stated. Marella laughed once more, the sound more of a snort, so much more human than the fake giggles of other girls. It was pretty.

"On what, the four people in over there? The Dizznee's all know how to swim really well, and hold their breath for hours. If anything they'll try to trick you," Marella announced. Linh simply tapped the fact list hanging from her chair, deigning to respond.

Even the strongest swimmers can be caught by a current!

"Valid. It's still a much better use of your time to talk to me though," she remarked. 

Linh once again deigned to respond, instead watching the small monsters tackle Dex, dragging him into the sea.

"Why'd you get a job here anyway? There are always openings at Slurp and Burps, and it pays way better," Marella said. Slurp and Burps was a funky coffee shop run by a quirky family, looked down upon by most of the rich people in the area. Yet they still shopped there, albeit snobbily. Marella paused, waiting for an answer. "You ignoring me? Okay. Fine." 

Marella turned back to the sun, a cat bathing in warmth. Tapping away at her phone, Marella texted someone, and Linh was disappointed. She shouldn't be! She hadn't responded to Marella, and the girl had tried to get Linh to talk multiple times. It didn't matter! A distracted lifeguard doesn't save lives after all.

Linh continued to look at the sea as the sun gradually moved along, staring at Marella out of the corner of her eye all the while. Dex eventually came back, talking to Marella about all sorts of things, mainly disasters at Slurp and Burps. Linh reveled in Marella's laughter, noticing little things about the blonde. The way she wrapped a braid around her fingers when she was trying to come up with the right word, or how her shoulder blades jut out when she gestured, talking with her hands. 

Swigging water, Linh pretended not to listen, as stalking wasn't exactly a trait she wanted to display in front of an attractive stranger. She flushed again, hoping Marella couldn't sense how pretty Linh found her to be. Gah, she flushed again. Must. Apply. Sunscreen.

Tam had finished his book, now asleep, and Linh couldn't help feeling depressed when Marella left, dragging the kids Linh now knew as Rex, Bex, and Lex behind her. Her mood rose as Wylie came to take his shift, shaking out her hair as she jumped out of the seat, not bothering to use the creaky ladder. 

Stretching out from sitting in the wooden structure all day, Linh was free at last. Bounding towards the water, Linh dove inside, arching under the current, dancing with the sea. Powerful strokes brought her further and further out, till she was at the warning float, treading water as she kicked, pushing herself up. She swayed on the float, gently cradled by the waves, gazing at the shoreline.

Her mind just kept coming back to Marella.

**Author's Note:**

> Rex, Bex, and Lex as troublemakers.
> 
> Tam as protective gay older brother.
> 
> Linh as lawful lesbian lifeguard.
> 
> Marella as chaotic lesbian.
> 
> Dex as Marella's gay best friend.
> 
> Sophie as Dex's demisexual cousin.
> 
> Keefe as chaotic Bi, and troublemaker extraordinaire.
> 
> Biana as pansexual suntanner and bikini boss, though her title could be debated.
> 
> Fitz as lawful gay, and that one guy who doesn't know how attractive he is.
> 
> Wylie as ace lifeguard.
> 
> Side ship ideas? Must work with the list above.


End file.
